An independent voice in the village, for the village. Providing news, information and action on matters that count.
Coronavirus - Helping those in need in Debenham

There are no doubt some members of our community who may need your help at this difficult time. Below is a facility for those in need to post what they need help with, and for those able to help to offer that help to them.

Needing Help?

If you are in need of help please click the "Request Help" button below and enter your details. Please note that no personal details (name, email address or telephone number) will be displayed on this site. All initial contact communication will be anonymous through this site.

Once connected to a helper how you choose to follow up communication will be up to you. If payment of any kind is involved please use the usual precautions in sharing personal information. There are a number of apps available for person to person transactions. If using cash - please be aware that notes and coins could potentially be a virus carrier so be wary of handling it and disinfect appropriately. (At least with the new plastic notes they are easier to disinfect.)

To respond to offers of help please click on the "Update" link under "Respond to Help" on the right hand side of the list below, and an email will be sent to the person offering help. If you wish to share your contact details you may do so either by explicitly providing them within your message, or by clicking the checkbox "Share Contact Details".

Once your offer of help has been satisfied please close your request so that others do not continue to try and offer help to you.

Offering Help

To offer help, please click on "Select" on the left hand side of the item you wish to offer help for. Please then fill out the form and message of help you can provide. If you wish to provide your contact details directly to the person requesting help please either include them in your message or by clicking the Checkbox "Send Contact Details".

No contact information will be shared beween participants unless you have explicitly done so either in your message or by clicking on the "Share Contact Details "checkbox.

RespondDate PostedHelp RequiredResponsesRespond to Help
Select25/03/2020Sample help request2Update
Select26/03/2020Clovis-19 extreme vulnerable. General help medicines local shopping etc.2Update
Select30/03/2020TESTING- PLEASE IGNORE1Update
Select30/03/2020TESTING- PLEASE IGNORE0Update

The Small Print - Terms & Conditions of use

Please note that this facility is provided free of charge as a service to the community of Debenham. Use of this service is entirely at the risk of the users, and that no liability is accepted for any issue arising from its use. No data submitted to this site will be shared with any third party (unless required to do so for legal reasons) and will be removed from this site once the request is completed or after 30 days of posting. All attempts have been made to make this service as secure as possible and the providers accept no liability for its misuse. This site is intended as a service to connect genuine requests for help with genuine offers of help, however, as always please be aware that there are unscrupulous people that are willing to take advantage of the vulnerable at such times as this, so please adhere to normal precautionary measures. In addition, please keep your distance from other people and adhere to all current government advice regarding social distancing, self-isolation, hand-washing, disinfection, etc.

Taylor Wimpey tries again

Taylor Wimpey have reapplied for the 295 home development
on Gracechurch Street.

Thank you to all who submitted their objections. With over 450 submitted that should make the council sit up and think hard before accepting such an application.

We now have to wait for the date of the hearing. In the meantime, work is still underway gathering evidence of the harm such a development would inflict on all aspects of our community.

When the date of the hearing is announced further action will need to be taken and we will inform you accordingly. Most important will be the attendance of as many people as possible at the hearing. Last time we had a full house, which was very impressive, and I am sure this had a major impact on the council members who were able to witness directly the strong, cohesive, community opposition to this plan.

You can view the status of the application here: DC/19/05769 | Outline Planning Application

295 New Homes in Debenham

A resurfacing of the proposal up to build 295 new houses on “Hilly Filly” and the land off Gracechurch Street opposite the school and leisure centre.

This represents a 35% increase on the existing size of the village.

Despite their application being turned down by the Mid Suffolk Planning Committe in December 2018, and the succesful adoption of the Debenham Neighbourhood Plan in February 2019, Taylor Wimpey are seeking to re-impose their plans for Debenham on our village.

They again sought to slide this into place under the radar in the bustle of Christmas

Development Map

This is just one proposal by one developer and one landowner. If significant expansion of the village is inevitable, it should be driven and directed in accordance with the needs, views and wishes of the village residents. In order to accomplish this we, the village residents, need to be proactive in preparing practical, credible alternate options, ones that satisfy the needs and wishes of both current and future residents while causing minimal detrimental impact to the village and its identity.

The primary consideration in any development, and particularly in Debenham, is the transit infrastructure. There is already a major problem in the village with regard to traffic along the High Street and Gracechurch street in particular, as well as the ongoing parking issue. Any future development needs to take that into proper practical consideration.

With the current proposal by Taylor Wimpey now on the table, time is of the essence in getting together a suitable response to ensure that development of the village meets the needs of current and future residents without further straining the infrastructure and traffic issues.

A great deal of time and effort has been put into the development of the Neighbourhood Plan it is now up to all of us to ensure that the wishes of residents reflected in that plan are respected, and that impractical developments are not simply imposed on the village and “steam-rollered” through. Anyone wishing to get involved in this process can email us here: planning@debenham-village.co.uk.

Links:

Taylor Wimpey application

Parish Council Neighbourhood Development Plan

Questions have been raised about the Community Infrastructure Levy and how it works so an explanatory link has been added here: Community Infrastructure Levy.

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